![]() ![]() From the illuminated manuscript of Rashid ad-Din’s Jami al-Tawarikh. The counterweight version used gravity and a hinge connection where the earlier traction trebuchet relied on men pulling ropes attached to the shorter end of the trebuchet beam.Ī city under Mongol siege. The main difference between the two was the force at launching projectiles. The second and more sophisticated used a counterweight system to swing the arm. The first, called a mangonel, used manpower to swing the large arm and may have been invented in China in the 4th century. This simple but effective siege weapon made the basic catapult obsolete as it could launch projectiles of greater weight at further distances. It was first designed by the Ancient Greeks and remained popular during the Roman period, pre-dating the more effective trebuchet. Similar to a large crossbow, it used the tension of a series of springs to launch large bolts. Sometimes known as a bolt thrower, the ballista was a siege weapon that was able to launch large projectiles at targets in the distance. The projectiles used in the hand cannon ranged from rocks to pebbles and arrows. Its practicality meant it could be held in two hands while a second person administered the ignition using red-hot irons or slow-burning matches. First used in China, the weapon was introduced throughout Europe in the 14th century. What is possibly the oldest type of simple metal barrel firearms, the hand cannon required manual ignition through a touch hole. The hand cannonĪlso known as the ‘gonne’ or ‘handgonne’, it was the first true firearm used in medieval times and the successor to the fire lance. Dan Jones provides his namesake host a thrilling background to the series of holy wars that have come to define Medieval Europe. And this time, they're talking all things crusades. The weapon was used during the middle ages to lay waste to enemy boats, turning the tide on many battles. It worked by blowing and sucking air from a valve in the handle which has been filled with naptha or quicklime, a substance known as Greek Fire, the ancient equivalent to napalm. But the basics of the modern-day flame thrower were pioneered 1,200 years earlier during the Byzantine Empire, where images of it are even depicted in medieval manuscripts. The Byzantine flame throwerĭuring the 20th century, the flame thrower was introduced into conflicts as a devastating hand-held weapon. Here are 9 of the deadliest siege weapons of the middle ages. And mobile bolt guns and battering rams were also redesigned and frequently deployed during the period. Handcannons, a rudimentary firearm, emerged in 14th-century Europe, for example. The Middle Ages saw the creation of some of the most deadly and devastating siege weapons in history.Īs new technologies and materials became available in the medieval period, ever more efficient and lethal tools were invented to destroy structures and inflict harm. For millennia, siege weapons have been used to destroy fortifications, invade regions and break down enemy defenses. ![]()
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